The Big Unknown
The surgical waiting room is a most curious space. Here, stress, anxiety, uncertainty and fear serve to make even the shortest of waits seem unbearable. Families sit crouched forward in uncomfortable chairs watching the hallway in hopes of seeing the smiling face of their surgeon coming with the news that “everything went fine”. Here, we are all waiting to exhale with a breath of relief.
After a nearly two hour journey through the pre-operative process this morning, Dad was eventually taken to surgery. We said our goodbyes, then headed to a crowded waiting area where the real wait began. Mom, Sister, and I were left to count down the hours until there’s news.
We’re still waiting.
And yet, as we grabbed a meal in the hospital cafeteria, we reflected on how out of place it seemed for the hospital staff to be experiencing “just another work day” while we sat wringing our hands. How could they be perfectly calm through all OUR WORRY?!
That’s when a nurse *and* a surgeon approached Lyn (Mom) with loud exclamations of joy over her signature red cowboy boots. “I saw you across the room and just HAD to come see those boots!” And “Gram-Gram, those boots are somethin’ ELSE!!”
We sure needed that pick-me-up, and the interaction was a much needed diversion. It stopped me from checking my watch so frequently.
Anxiety — the “not knowing” — is what makes waiting seem longer than it is. I’m grateful that the surgeon’s nurse sent word during the procedure to let us know that everything was going well about halfway through. This really helped and significantly reduced our anxiety level. The power of the short status update was amazing.
This experience is helping give me a renewed perspective on helping clients move through change and transition. I now have a better understanding of the *waiting* and the psychological stressors of the big unknown.
Since I personally move a LOT and I move people for a living, moving is not a stressor for me. I’m excited about what comes next, but some of my clients may not be. Most of the folks I work with have lived in ONE house for 50 years, while I’ve changed addresses 30 times in that same timespan.
I have always emphasized good communication with clients as I describe the process of sorting, packing, moving, and resettling but I think I can do a better job.
Going forward, I will make every effort to provide each family a “roadmap” picture for the journey they’re on. I will strive to set reasonable expectations as to the time it will take, suggest multiple touchpoints (work sessions) during the project, and provide immediate updates from third-party vendors we’ve engaged to help. Most importantly, I will add in check-in calls for the clients I won’t physically see in a week.
Senior Move Managers ®️ exist to smooth life’s transitions, and this includes helping with the physical AND emotional needs of our clients. Lyn’s Daughter — the company *and* the person — understands this means managing clients' uncertainty related to insufficient information.
For now, it’s back to the waiting room. We can’t wait to get Dad home later this week.
🌻 It feels good to be home.
Lyn’s signature red cowboy boots
